The Lament Of A Masked Man
by CherrySnowSprite
Summary: Outside of running around in masks and going through trauma, Tim struggles to maintain a normal life. Someone helps him through his normal life, and he will do anything to protect that. TimxOC. R&R PLEASE.
1. Chapter 1

"Look, come over to my place tomorrow. We'll talk about what we're gona do next there. We'll be indoor, hopefully no one will be watching or listening."

"Cool, where do you live? What's your address?"

He tore off a scrap of paper and fumbled to find a pen. Scribbling down his address, he handed the paper to Jay. "Don't come too early. I like to sleep late. The nights I can sleep anyway." he added darkly.

Jay nodded, "See you tomorrow."

Jay walked up the path of the small bungalow apartment and checked the small scrap of paper in his hand, this must be it.

He rapped lightly on the front door and waited, glancing around nervously for any signs of ominious, enigmatic figures watching him. He checked his camera, battery was decently charged and no sign of static.

The door opened and Jay was surprised to see a girl, no older than himself standing in the doorway. Her white skin almost stood out against the shady hallway and contrasted sharply with her soft ringlets of red, almost like liquid flame. She looked at Jay with ocean mineral eyes and smiled with cherry-red lips, "Hello."

Jay stuttered, "Um, h-hi. Er - I'm sorry, I must have the wrong address..." he checked the paper again.

"You're Jay, right? Tim's friend?" The girl had a distinct British accent, smooth and charming and made Jay feel a little less apprehensive.

"Yeah...that's me..."

She smiled more broadly and extended a slender hand, "Hi, I'm Aleksandra. I'm Tim's roomate. You can call me Sash."

Jay shook her hand nervously as she continued, "Tim's told me a lot about you, come in, come in."

He stepped in and tried not to watch her rear while her slim waist swayed as she almost floated down the hall, "Tim!" she called, "Your friend is here!"

Tim emerged from a room to the side, ebony hair slightly tousled. He had evidently not been up for very long.

Sash chuckled quietly and combed through his hair with her fingers, "You're finally up then?"

Tim's eyes, usually hard and cold, normally trying to avoid direct contact, laughed with her. Whenever Jay had seen them, they were like onyx. Hard, cold, impenetrable. But now they were like melting demerara sugar, "Yeah." he replied.

"Did you sleep ok?" she asked, hand dropping to his shoulder,

"Mm-hm."

Sash smiled, looking visibly relieved. While Tim, as if he had just noticed Jay standing there, changed his demeanour and reverted back to his familiar, distanced image. "Well, I'll, er, I'll just get in the shower. You just...make yourself comfortable or whatever."

Sasha beckoned him into the living room. Shaded, dull with two squashy sofas and a small television in the corner. She motioned for him to sit and Jay obeyed.

"So, I guess you got your camera all ready for filming." she said, gestured to the camera, "How come you're shooting now though? I figured you'd leave it for when you're actually, you know, acting stuff."

Ah. Tim had fed her the old 'student film' story. Jay wondered when that excuse would get old.

"Oh yeah," he said casually, "I'm just doing some behind-the-scenes stuff, you know."

"Ah right, so you're a film student then?"

Jay paused, he hadn't been to class in weeks, months, how long had it been? Could he even be classed as a student anymore?

"Yes. And, er, what do you do? You're British, right?"

"Yep!" she grinned,

"What are you doing all the way out here? It's not like there's anything spectacular about this place." Other than some really weird dangerous supernatural crap, he thought, I wonder how much she knows?

"I'm studying how to teach English as a foreign language." she explained, "The company that runs the course stationed me here until I get my qualifications then I'll be sodding off to wherever will have me."

Jay gave a strained smile to cover his envy, "Sounds nice." he went, he wished he could fly freely, do what he wanted without being tied down and watched like a hawk.

Tim walked in, clad in t-shirt and jeans and looking more awake, Sash's head jerked up. "Right," she announced brightly, "I'll get out of your way now, I'm about to put the kettle on, do either of you want a cup of tea?"

"Tea?" Tim smirked, "How British."

She picked up a cushion and whacked him with it, "Jay?"

"No, not for me thanks."

"Ok then, good luck with whatever it is you're doing." And again Jay tried not to watch her rear as she walked out, especially as he felt Tim's eyes glaring at him like hot coals.

Once she was out of the room there was an awkward silence. "So," Jay started, "she's your roomate, huh?"

"Yeah." Tim replied stonily,

"She's cute."

"Yeah." Tim repeated,

"Seems nice."

Tim leaned forward, visibly annoyed, or even defensive, "Listen, don't tell her anything. You don't mix her up in this." he hissed, "She's not a part of this at all. Don't question her, don't let on about anything suspicious. She's sharp and I don't want her involved. I wanna keep her out of this, ok?" And with added spite, "I don't want you screwing up another innocent person like that Jessica chick. Got it?"

Jay winced at Jessica's name. He had to find her and his knuckles tightened at that thought. "Got it." he repeated, feeling hurt at Tim's words.

"Good." Tim leaned back in his seat, "Keeping her out of this is one of my priorities. It's the least I can do for her after everything."

"What do you mean?" Jay questioned, curious,

Tim's eyes flickered with irritation, "Let's just say with my...condition...I'm not the easiest person to live with." He sighed, "My...funny turns are hard to deal with and keep as private as possible. My memory gaps, my...you know. That part of me. I can imagine it's frightening for her. And I can't hold down a job so contributing to the bills is hard. But..." he softened for a moment, "She never complains. I told her I have a form of epilepsy that messes with my personality and stuff. She's always understanding, she tries her best to keep me sane." Tim looked at the ceiling, almost smiling, "I don't know what I'd have done without her."

"I didn't even know you had a roomate." Jay commented,

Tim acted as if he hadn't heard him and carried on, "When I got fired from my last job she walked in and yelled at my boss, threatening to sue him for disability discrimination."

Jay laughed, "Seriously?"

He looked up, "Sash is not one to be taken lightly."


	2. Chapter 2

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When Jay left, it was dusk and the blue skies were beginning to turn violet. Jay said goodbye to Tim after discussing their next course of action and arranging to meet a few days from now. As Jay walked out the door and down the path, he was surprised to turn at the sound of Sash running after him.

"Jay!" she called, "Hang on a sec!"

"Oh Sash," he replied, "What's up?"

She panted slightly, bending down to rest her hands on her knees, and Jay tried not to look at her chest, "Did you get a lot done today?"

"Get a-a lot d-done?" Jay stumbled, unsure of what she meant and only half paying attention, "Y-yeah, a fair bit...why?"

"Was Tim ok?" She asked, "I mean, did he seem alright to you?"

Jay paused, what should he say? What would be acceptable to say? Aside from his usual short, borderline-rude, anti-social, smoking and pill-popping self...yes he seemed alright.

Instead of complicating things, Jay opted to nod his head. Sash's shoulders slumped in relief, "Oh good," she sighed, "I do worry about him. You know, being the way..." she trailed off and shrugged before resuming her dazzling smile, "Well, I'll see you soon probably! Night!"

Sash closed the door behind her and saw Tim standing there,

"You're still worried about me." He stated.

"Can you blame me?" She retorted, placing her arms round his neck, "I just wanna make sure you don't..."

Her eyes become downcast. Sash wanted Tim to have independence but safely. How could she make sure he wouldn't vanish for weeks on end or turn up horribly injured again while...? And why wasn't his bloody doctor more concerned?!

Tim caressed her cheek with his thumb and lifted her chin gently, "I'll be fine." he told her simply, "And you won't be here forever."

Sash's eyes began to tear and Tim pulled his friend into an embrace, "Don't cry over me, Miss England," his voice muffled by her hair, "that's the last thing I want."

Sash sniffed and wiped her eyes, "You're right." she said, "I'm being silly. Come on, let's get dinner on, I'm starving here."

"Sash?"

"Hm?"

Tim faltered, words on the tip of his tongue, "Never mind, just...my meds, you know, as long as I take them, I'm fine."

She nodded, "I know, but they've been lost or run out and they're so bloody expensive with American medical bills. You know, it's about time America took a leaf from Britain's book and got themselves free health care. But oh no, everytime someone suggests it it's all 'Oh bloody communists trying to take away American values!' or 'Fucking socialists trying to destroy America!' I tell you what, if they swallowed their bloody pride..."

Tim smiled and listened to her carry on ranting. How her voice became rapider and higher, how her adorably cute pom accent accentuated the very English curse 'bloody' (one of his favourite things to hear her say) and her crude attempts at an American accent, something that never failed to emit a chuckle from Tim.

"Jay seems nice." Sash announced suddenly, picking at her home-made potato wedges, 'just like chip shops have them back home' she had said,

"Hm?" Tim's mouth was full, damn if this is what take out chips were like in Britain he was seriously considering moving,

"I mean, he seems quiet and pleasant."

Tim paused, Jay certainly was quiet, and pleasant - well, yes. He was...he always tried to do what he that was best, even if Tim disagreed, his heart was in the right place. "He can be a bit dumb sometimes though." he thought aloud.

"Oh?"

Ah, Tim thought, what should I give as an example that doesn't involve spilling some well-locked secrets?

"Well, er...a while back we worked on a project together and...he would, er, sort of just be...forgetful or a bit insensitive or something. I don't know..."

Sash nodded and went back to her food. Something was a little off about this project, she thought, it was all very sudden and she would have thought there would be more people involved. Oh well, she inwardly shrugged, probably just the way they do things over here.

re...


	3. Chapter 3

Sash lay back on her bed, her feet in the sunlight patch, allowing the scarlet polish on her toes to dry. All was quiet. Tim had gone 'location scouting' (whatever that was) for the movie with Jay, she didn't have to be in work today, there were no classes. All was peaceful.

She glanced out the window as the sunlight faded, it was getting colder. The heat of Alabama was drifting away and being replaced by a winter chill. Well, the southern states' version on a winter chill, she thought, it wasn't half as cold as it was back home. Sasha smiled at thoughts of bruising clouds pushing into the grey skies and sharp wind slicing through the air, the pounding rain falling, freezing and turning to hail, before finally soft, silent snow was flutter down like icy butterflies and cover the ground like icing on a cake.

Did it snow in Alabama? She wondered, making a note to ask Tim when he got back. She hoped so.

Sasha was jolted out of her reverie by the sound of extremely erratic driving and a violent screech of brakes as the car just clipped the garage door. Sash panicked, who in he name of...?

She wrenched open the door to see Tim stumbling out of the driver's seat, slamming the car door behind him. Struggling to stand, Sasha rushed to support him and fear dropped like a bomb in her stomach.

"Tim?"

He looked at her, but it wasn't the usual warm look she recieved, his eyes were cold, heavy, heftily blackened underneath. He was covered in mud, he was soaked through and his jeans were torn.

"Tim, what happened?" her voice trembled as Tim clung to her for support, were his hands covered in blood?

She successfully got him inside, closing the door as followed Tim as he staggered to the living room, coughing and wheezing like nobody's business. He collapsed on the sofa, hacking and choking.

Sash knealt next to him, uttering soothing words of comfort and made to stroke his hair but to her shock Tim grabbed her wrist and held it tight, sitting bolt upright, pushing his face into hers and growled.

She was frightened, and it had been a long time since that had happened.

The first time Sasha had encountered Tim's 'other self' was not long after she had moved in. She heard gasping, choking, banging and rushed out of her room, 'Tim?' she knocked on the door, 'Are you ok?'

The sounds coming from the other side of the door certainly implied he was not ok, so she pushed open the door to find Tim writhing on the floor. She fell to her knees and touched his forehead, there was no fever there. It must be epileptic, she deduced and waited for him to stop.

When he finally did, Sasha tried talking to him, but she was met with a blank, cold stare as he ignored her protests to stay lying down. Shrugging off her attempts at forcing him to stay put he stumbled out of the house.

A few times after that she had caught him running about the house wearing a strange white mask with black painted eyes and lips, like a carnival mask. He never spoke, and as far as she could tell, wasn't violent. But, while she knew this wasn't 'Tim' as such, she still felt some of the warmth from his 'masked' self. He would stare at her through the eyeholes and tilt his head, as if trying to figure something out. Other times he would sit outside her room or window, like a guard dog and at least twice she had been knocked over by his hugs tackling her.

There were other times when she feared for his safetly. Once or twice he had gone missing for days on end, leaving her frantic and panicked. Calling the police, his doctor, anyone and everyone. Sometimes he would return injured but have no memory of how or where he had been.

It must be a nightmare for him, Sasha thought, bringing herself back to the present.

Tim's cold look was melted and replaced by a look of horror as he loosened his grip on her and shrank away, putting his head in his hands.

"Sasha...I..."

"Ssshhh..." she soothed, wrapping her arms around his hunched body, "It's ok, you're home now."

Tim gave up all pretense and sobbed into her, "I thought...I...I don't..."

She leaned into him and stroked his hair, "Stay there," she murmered, "I'll be back in a second."

As she pulled away he reached out for her, "No, don't - "

She smiled, "Just a sec, I'll be back, I promise."

here...


	4. Chapter 4

The hot water roared into the bathtub and steam rose up out like a mushroom cloud. Sasha picked up the container of bubble bath from the side and squeezed until white foamy froth grew and multiplied and the scent of raspberries filled her nostrils.

Keeping her promise, she stepped back into the living room, where Tim had finally noticed he was cold and was huddling on the sofa, teeth chattering.

"Good thing I'm running you a bath then." she smiled,

He looked up, eyes full of anticipation, "Really?"

Sash nodded, "A hot one, with bubbles." and a warm feeling diplated in her stomach when she saw a tired smile break across his ghost-like face.

"Thank you." he said roughly,

Sasha hugged him, "You're gonna be ok." she whispered, a tear trickling down her cheek.

Tim sniffed, "In the end. I hope."

Sasha thumbed away his tears, "Go on, get in."

Tim settled back in the tub, allowing himself to sink into the water and almost be absorted by it, as if he were a sponge. The bubbles covered the water surface, as if a mini, fluffy antarctica had appeared in the bathtub and the smell of raspberries wafted in the air with the steam.

What had happened back there? He just remembered collapsing, roaring at Jay to run and then arriving home. How long had he been gone?

The camera.

He had the camera on him the whole time. It was on. The footage would probably be totally messed up but some things could be plausable there, right?

Tim froze and a cold feeling dropped in his stomach, making him shiver despite how warm he was, the thought of watching the footage, of actually seeing what...what IT had done to him...it was too much to bear for now.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the bathroom door, "Tim?" Sash called, "Are you decent?"

"Er..." Tim looked down at himself, "I'm kinda naked in here," he feebly attempted a joke, "but you can still come in if you really want to."

"Haha." She called back sarcastically, "I mean, are you covered?"

"The bubbles are covering my dick, yes."

Sasha, came in holding two mugs, "I made tea." she stated, holding them up.

Tim relaxed again, "Thanks." he replied taking one of the mugs,

She knealt down, "How are you feeling?"

The corners of Tim's mouth twitched, "Exhausted, confused, a bit scared."

"And physically?"

"Just exhausted, got a pretty big headache." He finished off his sentence with a few coughs, but they weren't as deep as before. "I need a cigarette."

"No you don't." Sasha had been trying to get him to quit for a while, but Tim was prepared to use anything to relax him, even though he knew of the risks.

"I'm just a bit - " Tim raised his hands to cover his nose and mouth as he felt a tickling rush in the back of his sinuses "HEEEEH-TSCHU!" he sneezed, thunderingly as they always were.

"Chilled to the bone, by the sounds of it." Sash giggled, sweeping some hair that had fallen into his eyes with the force of the sneeze, "Bless you."

"Thanks." He sniffled, knowing he needed a tissue, but as his hands were wet from the bathwater, he sniffed and reached for his tea.

"Don't come out until you feel warm enough, ok?" she told him, "You were sodden when you came in. I suppose you thought swimming fully-clothed in winter was a great idea in that state..." she sighed, "You've been through enough, you don't need a cold to deal with now."

"I won't get a cold." Tim scoffed, holding back another sneeze, threatening to well up in his nose.

Sasha raised an eyebrow and exited. As she heard Tim sneeze again, she smirked and went to her room.


	5. Chapter 5

Sasha was awoken by Tim's screaming later that night and upon entering his room found him huddled by his drawers in the corner of his room, hacking. "No! Sasha!" he cried out, between coughs "It's gonna get you! Sash! No! Nooooo! NOOOOOOO!"

But Tim's eyes were wild with fear, like a spooked horse, "Sasha, please. Run, run, run! It's coming for me, it'll get you too. Sash..."

"Tim," Sasha shook him firmly by the shoulder, "nothing is coming to get you. Nothing is coming to get me. Everything is fine, you're having a nightmare. It's all ok."

Tim only shook his head as tears poured out, "It's not, it's not it's not!" his voice rose and he screamed again, sobbing, "My head..."

She cupped his face in his hands, "I'm gonna get the doctor, ok?" Tim had always kept his doctor's number pinned to the fridge, should she ever need to call.

"No...Sash..."

But she had made her way to the kitchen and was dialling the number,

"No, doctor, you don't seem to be understanding what I'm saying, he's very...no don't speak to me like I'm stupid, you patronising arse, I know a seizure when I see one. Look, Tim is in severe need of..." she heard the front door slam, "Hang on, doctor..." she looked around the house to see Tim limping past the window. "Oh, damn and bugger it all to hell!" she snapped, "He's gone out the front door now. He isn't in his right mind! Now, if you hadn't taken up so much time arguing semantics with me about whether or not he needs help and just come over, this wouldn't have happened! So you can take your Republican attitudes and shove them up your fat arse!" she yelled and slammed the phone down.

Grabbing keys and a jacket, Sasha bolted out the door and got into Tim's car.

Technically, she wasn't legally allowed to drive in America, as she neither had an American licence nor an international one. But she was a perfectly able driver and desperate times called for desperate measures.

Reversing out of the driveway with a screech and sped along the road. He can't have gotten that far. Not yet. Plus, since Tim broke his leg, his 'other half' had adopted a kind of limp, Sasha had noticed, even though the wound had long since healed, so that would have slowed him down.

Sasha was keeping an eye out the window, so much that she almost didn't see the car speeding towards her.

Slamming down on the accelerator, she swung out the way.

"FUCKING IDIOT!" the man yelled out of his window as he drove on, "I'LL SUE YOU!"

"Oh there you go again with the sueing threats!" she shouted back, "Kiss my arse!"

Oh fuck, she thought to herself, I forgot Americans drive on the wring side of the road.

After about two hours of continuous driving around, Sasha had not located her roomate. She pulled over and got out, taking in the cold night air.

Pulling her phone from her pocket, she dialled the doctor's number again. Ignoring the fact that she had not long ago shouted at him and insulted him, when he answered she simply said "I haven't found him."

"He'll turn up." came the unfazed reply,

"'He'll turn up', he says!" she repeated shrilly, "The point at the moment is not a matter of whether or not he'll come back! It's what state he'll come back in?" Sasha choked back tears, "Covered in blood? Broken bones? Pneumonia from overexposure to the cold? Only today he came back dripping wet and chilled through!" Sighing and covering her eyes with her free hand, "Look, you're his doctor. You've been his doctor since he was first admitted to you. How can you act like this? Are you telling me you feel no attachment to Timothy at all?" tears glared threateningly behind her eyes, "Are you not concerned that one day, he's just going to vanish into the dark and when we eventually find him, he'll be dead? Because I am. I worry about it every time I see this happen to him. And if it does, it will be on YOUR shoulders, because you were too fucking lazy to do bugger all about it!" she shrieked, and added for good measure, "And I will SUE!"

This seemed to decide the older man, as a heavy sigh came down the phone, "When Timothy was younger he seemed to run away to Rosswood a lot." his tone was bored, "But I really wouldn't trouble yourself round there, it's like a maze, especially at night. You'll get lost. He'll come back, just go home and wait for him."

Sasha chose to ignore this, "Rosswood?"

"Rosswood Park."

"Thank you." and she hung up.

"Hold on Tim. I'm coming."


	6. Chapter 6

Sasha dove into the forest, the darkness of the trees swallowing her up and fear settled into her bones. She was unable to see anything in front or around her and, truth be told, she didn't really like the dark anyway. It surrounded her and made her feel so alone. So vulnerable. And that was not something she was used to, nor was she planning on getting used to it.

Whether it was the adrenaline, the desperate need to find Tim or the unnerving feeling that she was being watched, Sash felt it was best to keep moving. Running blind, she charged through the trees, their spiny wooden hands pulling at her hair and their nails scratching her face. But she ran nonetheless, calling Tim's name, hoping he would respond or show himself.

Sasha stopped, she had been running for goodness knows how long and she was exhausted. How much longer would this go on? She was worn out, she was a mixture of roasting and freezing and her fear was growing more and more by the second. What's more was that she simply couldn't shake the feeling that someone - or something - was watching her. She didn't know how or where, but she could feel eyes on her. Sasha wanted to run, but she was tired, ready to collapse, so she sank to the floor, snivelling quietly to herself. Hot tears ran down her cheeks as she shakily took in an uneven breath before screaming with all her might "TIMOTHYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

She saw a figure in the distance, but it wasn't Tim. Too tall and skinny to be Tim, but they were making their way towards her. Sash rose shakily to her feet and stumbled backwards, about to run.

Hurried footsteps crashing on branches and leaves reached her ears and Tim, bolting at the speed of light, mask-clad ran at her, picked her up over his shoulder and continued running.

"Tim?!" she shrieked, "Put me down! Tim! Tim, put me..."

But Tim wasn't listening, he ran ahead, even when they were out of the trees. He bulleted straight to the car. How did he know where it was? Sasha thought as he tossed her into the passenger seat and slammed his foot down out of the park.

"Tim?" Sasha said shakily, peering at him. He ignored her, driving straight ahead, breaking the speed limit.

"Tim, at least take the mask off when you're driving." she told him, but made no move to force it from him. He continued to ignore her. "Tim!" she snapped, "Timothy!"

Screeching on the brakes as he had done earlier that day, or yesterday, Sasha was pretty sure it had gone midnight by now, Tim got out the car and limped a couple of feet away before turning back as if to see if she was coming.

Sasha opened the door and touched Tim gently on the shoulder before opening the door and entering. Tim had apparently calmed down after his sprint in the park and simply limped to his room, de-masking. Sasha calmed down slightly, usually when Tim de-masked it meant he was slowly coming back into himself. She followed him into his room where he simply collapsed on his bed, unconscious.

He'd be scared when he woke up, right? Sash thought to her self, he always was. She paused, it wouldn't be terrible if she stayed with him just one night would it? He was on top of the bed, if she got under the cover it wouldn't count as intimacy, right? And it's nothing sexual or perverted, just a friend wanting to keep her friend safe and calm.

Sasha made up her mind and slipped into her pyjamas. Tiredness crashed over her like a tidal wave and she was pretty sure she was out of it before her head hit the pillow, one slender white arm draped across her roomate. What did he do in the forest? Her sleep-drugged mind thought, why Rosswood? Why the mask? Why the injuries? And why only now, does he sleep so peacefully?

Tim's body heaved up and down in rhythm with his breathing, dead to the world for now.


	7. Chapter 7

Tim was shuddering violently and his eyes flew open. Panting, he felt a crippling pain in his chest and tears leaking out of his eyes. Tim rubbed them with the heels of his palms and let out a sob. What had happened? Why couldn't he remember? Why...?

He shifted and realised a hand was resting on his stomach. Oh God, what was that?! Alex? Or that...that thing? His eyes trailed down to see it was a small, delicate hand, belonging to Sasha, who slept soundly next to him, undisturbed. Her breathing heavy, soothing and monotone and indicated no disturbance whatsoever.

Tim felt the pain in his chest ebb away and his expression softened. What indeed had happened? Had he passed out in her room? No, this was definately his room. But Sasha was next to him, under the covers of his bed fast asleep. Had she fallen asleep while comforting him? The moonlight glistened through the curtains and dappled her hair, shimmering across his pillow. She truly was amazing, Tim thought. Heart beating, he leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead and settled down next to her, huddling close.

The next morning started with Tim feeling an ache in his legs, as if he had run a marathon and a hobbled over to the back door to have a cigarette. Today was his day off, and he knew that it was Sasha's day in. He glanced back, Sasha hadn't stirred and he exhaled smoke into the fresh morning air and watched it dance and float away as he took another drag. Finishing up, he stubbed it out and flicked it away and went indoors to do breakfast.

Bacon and eggs sounded good, and Sasha liked them too. She deserved a nice wake up after whatever it was he had put her through. The least he could do was give her a nice wake up.

But as he was frying the eggs, Sasha wandered in, yawning, "Bacon?" she mumbled, looking confused,

"And eggs." Tim informed her, suppressing a smile at her dishevelled morning form, "I was gonna bring these in to you."

"Hm..." Sasha stifled a yawn, "You want me to go back to bed and pretend I never woke up so you can do that?"

Tim raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, that would be great, thanks." and laughed as Sash uttered an "Ok." and made her way back to her room, he caught her by the elbow and guided her back to the kitchen table, "I'm kidding, silly, sit down!"

"You shouldn't be doing this," Sasha rubbed at her eyes, "you're not well."

"Shut up, I'm fine!" Tim did his best to sound cheery, his treacle eyes stared into her's "Really."

Sasha stared back and her finger clasped around his hand the delivered her plate to her, she began to shake her head and Tim sat down, interrupting her with an, "Well, bon appetit as they say in Europe!"

"More specifically, France." she told him, shovelling bacon into her mouth, grinning.

"You shouldn't be driving, you know." Sasha told him,

"You've said that eight times already," Tim sighed, "I'm fine to drive you to work."

"You don't have to." she said,

"Well, I wanted to." he shot back, "You've been so great lately, I figured I'd do some nice things for you."

Sasha gave him a look, "I'm just doing what any decent roomate and good friend would do. You needn't make a big deal about it."

Tim knew what she meant, but couldn't help but wince at her use of the word 'friend', as if a needle had been pushed into his chest.

He knew it was impossible, but sometimes he wished that 'friend' had a 'girl-' prefixed to it.

Pulling up, Sasha thanked Tim for the ride, "I'll see you tonight, yeah?" she smiled, and he forced one back, "Have a good day."


	8. Chapter 8

Tim stood in the back yard, exhaling smoke. He'd call Jay at some point but for now, he just wanted to recuperate before going on any more excursions.

He shuddered, accidently spitting out smoke quicker than he intended, thinking of the last thing he remembered before coming home. He took another drag and his eyes flickered behind him to the house, the camera was still there. He could take a look at the footage...

Tim coughed, no way, he thought. The very suggestion made him want to vomit, even as he replayed it in his head. The coughing, the collapsing, being directly below it, it's smooth, blank, featureless face watching and knowing...

The next thing Tim knew, he was bent double coughing and hacking. It was deep in his chest and he was afraid he would hack up his insides. This wasn't a smoker's cough, that occasionally bothered him. It was THAT coughing. The kind that meant he needed his meds. His meds, where were they? He dropped his cigarette and staggered in, coughing all the way.

His meds.

Oh God.

Where were they?

Tim practically tore his room apart, frantic with coughs and panic. Where were they? Where? Where were...

He trashed the bathroom looking for them, tipping out the contents of the medicine cabinet in the kitchen. No, no, no! Where?

But it was too late, Tim could feel it sneaking it his spine and reaching his brain and the lightening storm took over. Tim heard himself shout "NO!" before blacking out.

He limped out the back door and made his way out.

Sasha arrived home just as darkness was beginning to decend on the day, and briskly walking through the front door with a breezy "Hellooo!"

There was no answer.

"Tim?" Sasha checked around the living room, "Are you home?". Her eyes fell on the medicine cabinet, it's contents over the kitchen floor, "What the hell...?"

She dashed to Tim's room and flung open the door. Sasha fell to her knees upon seeing it's trashed state. "I knew it." she whispered to herself, choking back a sob, she clutched her head, "Why did I leave him alone for the whole day?"

Sasha slammed the door behind her as she ran all the way to the clinic.

"I cannot break my patient confidentiality to you. I don't care how desperate you are, there is nothing I can do. Now I suggest you stop causing a scene and go home to wait for Mr Sutton there." Tim's doctor, accompanied by a nurse, escorted Sasha from the surgery,

"I don't think you understand the severity of the situation here..." Sasha began but was cut off,

"And I don't think you understand that there's nothing we can do, you're causing a scene in a mental health clinic and if you don't leave I will be forced to call the police!"

As the door slammed in her face, Sasha began to cry, not caring how many passers-by were staring, and screamed "FUCKING HELL!"

Back home, she knew the sensible thing to do was wait. Would he come back? When? It was dark out now, and cold. Sasha sat on the sofa, hugging her knees.

"Snap out of it and come home, Tim. Please."


	9. Chapter 9

It was around one in the morning and a masked man peered into the windows of the house, seeing Sasha asleep on the sofa, clutching her phone, tears dried on her cheeks. "Let me go in and see her," Tim begged, "let her know I'm ok." But the masked man did nothing and continued watching. "Please," Tim pleaded, "at least leave her a note, give her a blanket. Something?" However, wrenching his heart away from the sight of her, Masky leapt off the fence, and continued on to wherever he was headed.

When Sasha woke, she was cold, shivering, covered in goosebumps. "Tim?" she called, her throat dry. No answer. Standing up, she rummaged around for her keys and a jacket and stepped out. It was bloody cold. Huddling herself, she walked at a fast pace down the street, "Tim?" she called again, "Timothy?" Bracing herself, she shouted louder, "TIMOTHY WILEY!" Sasha stopped.

There was someone standing at the edge of the road, "Hello?" The figure simply stood and stared at her, "Excuse me?" she said, "Can I help you?" The figure appeared to be male, wearing a suit. Tall, very tall. For some reason, fear struck into Sasha, "Excuse me? Sir?" She got a little closer and he tilted his head, "I'm looking for my friend. he has dark hair, sideburns. Sort of stocky build. His name is Tim Wiley. He might be wearing a mask, I know that seems odd but it's hard to explain. I really need to find him, have you seen him?" Sasha stopped in her tracks, something was telling her to run, and she coughed. The man took a step towards her and her legs didn't even wait for a response from her mind. She bolted, running with all her might.

Eventually she ran out of energy and stopped, looking up. A young man was walking towards her. Around her own age, bespectacled, with a serious expression. "Are you alright there?" he said, dispassionately,

"Yes." she responded, facing him. His eyes are like stone, she thought, so cold. "I'm looking for my friend." "Your friend." he repeated, "And who is that?" Sasha hesitated, "His name is Timothy Wiley," she said, and saw recognition flash in his eyes. Did this guy know Tim? "He iss dark-haired, has sideburns, stocky figure..." she trailed off, "And might be wearing a curious-looking mask."

"A mask, huh." the stranger looked over her shoulder, as if in thought. Sasha turned her head to follow his gaze but he stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder, "If I find him, you'll know."

"I'll know, what...?" And the man began to walk past her and she grabbed his arm, "I wouldn't go that way, if I were you..." she told him, "there's some dodgy-looking bloke that at the end of the road just standing there and staring." Sasha could have sworn his eyes glared slightly,

"I'll be fine. Good luck." and walked off, stopped and turned to face her again, "What's your name and relation to this guy?"

"My name?" She was taken aback, "Sasha. I'm Tim's roomate."

He nodded, "I see." and continued walking, "Wait!" But Sasha could see the suited man again and screamed "RUN!" at the stranger, but she wasn't sure why and sprinted away again.

It was getting light when Sasha walked through the front door of her house, heartbroken and Tim-less. She must have been spaced out the whole night because she didn't remember a thing, only walking around and then...she met someone. Oh who was it? A stranger or two...one of them asked about Tim...what? Sasha flicked on the light, dumping her jacket and nearly having a heart attack, stifling a scream.

Tim was there on the sofa, snoring lightly. His face a pallid white, dark circles under his eyes. His nose was crusted with blood and there was grazes on his face. Sasha dropped to his side and he stirred, opening his eyes sleepily, "Sash...?"

"Hey..."

"Sasha!" he fell off the sofa hugging her with such force, "I'm sorry...! I wanted to come back but..."

"I was out looking for you all night." she sobbed, wiping her eyes, "I was so worried, I asked a couple of people if they'd seen you but...well, it wasn't any help. I don't remember much about it..." she struggled through the haze in her memory, "The first guy was so creepy I ran away and the second one was just odd. Did you encounter anyone? He said I'd know if he found you."

Tim sat upright and looked more alert than Sasha had seen him, "Sasha, who were they?"

Sasha shook her had, "I don't know," she replied, "I'd never seen them before."

"What did they look like, Sash, describe them." She was alarmed and rubbed her temples, as if it would help,

"Um...the first one was tall...and, I don't know...formally dressed." Her stomach twisted at the thought of him, "But I ran off, he was freaking me out."

"And the other?" he urged,

"About our age? Glasses." Sasha said, "Why is this important anyway? Who were they, Tim?" But Tim grabbed her by the shoulders,

"Stay here." he instructed her firmly, "Don't open the door to anyone. Lock it. Don't look out the window. I will be right back."

"Tim, what's going on?" Sasha's voice was fearful, "Tell me."

He looked into her eyes, "I can't." he said, sadly, "It's the only way I can protect you and not lose you at the same time."


	10. Chapter 10

Tim stood outside the front door and took his phone out of his pocket, dialing Jay and receiving voicemail, he said flatly, "I know you're probably asleep right now. But...it's me. I need you to meet me as soon as you get this."

Returning back inside her knelt down and took Sasha in his arms, her face in his chest, lips resting on the top of her head, "This is gonna be hard, Sash." he mumbled gently, "But I need you to do something to keep safe."  
"I'm not leaving you." She stated,  
"I'm not asking you too, although that would be safer and I'd understand if you did." he answered, "Now listen carefully, this is important." Tim released her and placed his hands on either side of her face, "I need you to forget tonight. I need you to forget this ever happened. All of it. Can you do that?"

"Tim, I...why? What is this? I..."  
"Nonono, Sash, no." Tim pressed his forehead against hers, "You can't remember. You can't ask and you can't think about it. You'll just have to trust me on this one. I know that's hard, considering the...they way I am but...you need to."  
Sasha placed her hands on Tim's wrists, "I would trust you with my life, Tim, I know you'd never hurt me. Even when you are like that, you've never hurt me."

Tim looked up, "What?" he asked, "What do you mean?"  
Sasha gazed at him, "Even when you aren't...you, you're still, I don't know, I mean, you look scary and act scary when you go out but...you've never been scary towards me. You watch me, you sort of stand guard, you tackle me with hugs, but you never frighten or hurt me at all."  
Tim let go of her and buried his face in his hands, "Thank God, thank God..."

And it hit him, Sasha had never complained about his 'Masky' side, she had no reason too. Those times he had blacked out but not gone anywhere...Masky had been next to Sasha. But from what Jay had told him, or what he had seen on the tapes, Masky seemed...feral, violent, wild. He would tackle, hit, punch, he had even gone to kill Alex before, maybe even Jay. But Sasha...

Did...did Masky LOVE Sasha?

Or did he simply sense that Sasha wasn't a threat? Or was Tim's conscience stronger inside Masky than he originally thought? What if Tim had subconsciously warned Masky against harming her at all?

Tim had resigned himself to his hopeless crush on Sasha long ago, and resigned himself to the fact that he could never be with her. How could he expect her to be with someone in as poor mental health as he was? Having to scrounge for work because of it? Being followed all the time? He couldn't drag her into this. She could do better.  
Plus, she wasn't going to be here forever.

But it was ok, as long as she was happy, he was content at seeing her lips smile but never kissing them. He was fine with watching her body move as she danced around the living room in her pyjamas but never putting his hands on her. He was alright talking to her, but never telling her how he felt, and he was ok listening to her talk but never hearing what he truly longed to hear.  
Fuck it. He wasn't fine with it at all. But he'd just have to put up with it, wouldn't he?

Tim gazed at Sasha, who had fallen asleep on his shoulder. Heart pounding, he eased off his jacket and placed it round her, laying her down on the sofa. She must have been exhausted, the second night she's deprived herself of rest to look for him.  
"I'm sorry, beautiful," his faced scrunched up with emotional pain, "I'm sorry."

Tim stood outside the back door, meds in his pocket. He gripped them with one hand and inhaled his cigarette with the other.  
"Are you in there?" he asked himself, meaning to speak to his other self, unsure if 'he' could hear him, "If you can, listen to me." He took out his meds and shook them before replacing them, "You're good for not attacking her, and whatever you feel towards her, it's ok. But you and I both know that I probably won't be around for much longer. I might completely change into you. I might be dead. Either way, I might have to rely on you. I don't want to. I hate being you. But if it's necessary, I will. And you can't let me down. You need to be strong for both of us. You need to defend her with everything you've got. And I don't care if it gets us shot or fucked up. You hear me?"  
He took a pill and capped the bottle. He didn't know if Masky was listening to that, or even of Masky was capable of listening. But he was sure Masky wouldn't stand for anyone trying to hurt Sasha.  
"Maybe we aren't so separate after all." he said quietly, blowing smoke into the dawn.


	11. Chapter 11

Sasha sat, head down, scribbling away in her notebook. Learning to teach English as a foreign language was far easier when English was your first language. Her mind had wandered to Tim, who had become confused about his work schedule and wondered if his episodes had caused him to miss work, and was apparently meeting up with Jay again at some point. Sasha hoped Jay would keep a close eye on him, and wished she had said something while she had the chance.

She felt a poke on her shoulder and she turned to see Miguel Sanchez, a young Mexican man who she reguarly spoke to in what could only be described as Spanglish.

"Sasha," he whispered, leaning in close "I'm kind of struggling understanding sis worksheet in English."

Sasha smiled, "It's ok, it's homework, not for now."

"Could you please help me?"

She nodded, "Come over after class, we can go to my house and do it there?"

Miguel raised an eyebrow and cocked a grin "Do it sere?"

"Mm." Sasha nodded and turned back to the teacher, adding, "My roomate is out so we won't be interrupted."

"So you just conjugate the verb really. Past tense participle." Sasha took a sip of cola,

"Ooohhh, I see." Miguel scribbled down the answer,

The front door opened, "I'm home! Hey, Sash, I still have a job!" Tim's voice came wafting in cheerily, "Sash?" His head popped round the door and his expression changed, "Oh." his voice became flat like a deflated balloon, "I didn't know you, er...had company."

Sasha smiled brightly, "Tim, this is Miguel, he's in my class. Miguel, este es mi amigo, Tim. Vive agui conmigo."

"Ah," Miguel made a smile and outstretched his hand, "Is good to meet you."

"And you." Tim replied, stonily.

Sasha sensed Tim's apprehension, and attempted to quell it the only way she knew how "Tea, anyone?"

Tim's eyes flicked back and forth between her and Miguel, "Not for me thanks." he said, "I have some stuff to do. Work on a few things for Jay and the film and stuff."

"Oh." Sasha felt a little let down, "Ok then..."

It was a little later and Miguel was still here. Tim clenched his jaw, why wasn't he gone yet? Why was he still here?

Tim opened the fridge and stared into it, but not really looking, hoping to catch snatchings of what was being said and he felt hot and bothered. Why did he care that Sasha had brought some good-looking Latino guy back home and was now talking to him intently?

It's because you're jealous...a little voice at the back of his head said and he instictively slapped his temple. Shut up, he snapped at himself.

Closing the fridge, Tim turned and jumped when he saw Miguel standing there. "Can I help you?"

"I ask you something?" Miguel wondered and Tim nodded, "Well, er, I was sinking...well, erm, sat er...Sasha y I," he pointed to himself, "we, um, we go to de, de bed soon. And er, I..."

Tim did a mental double take and froze, "You, you and Sasha what?"

Miguel repeated, "We go to the bed."

Tim was a mixture of confused and angry as he struggled to get the words out, "You and Sasha are going to bed...together? Excuse me?"

Before Miguel could reply, Tim stepped closer, "So you think you're good enough to just screw her, huh? How long have you known Sasha? How long have you two been, oh, I don't know, a couple? What's her favourite song? What happens in her recurring dream? What medicine is she allergic to? Huh? What part of England is she from? What is her number one dream? What countries would she like to go to?"

Miguel looked puzzled, "I...I don't know...she ask me back here to do homework?"

Tim shook his head, "What?" he went, exasperated,

"She ask me to come here to do homework alone. She say you were out and we wouldn't be disturbed."

"What? Hang on..." Tim buried his face in his hands, "She asks you back here so she could help you with homework and you take that as an invitation to go to bed with her?"

Miguel nodded, "My friend tell me if a girl invites you home to do something that sound...erm, I don't know the English for this...inocente...it mean she want to do the sex with you."

Tim stood, an expression of disbelief on his face.

"I was wrong?"

"Yes, you were wrong! Very very wrong!"

"Oh."

Tim heard Miguel say goodbye to Sasha and went in, eyebrows raised.

"Are you ok?" she asked him, "You seemed a bit off today."

"I'm fine," he told her, "nothing to worry about."

Sasha's lip curled, "Really?"

Tim looked at her, "What?"

"You seemed different towards Miguel."

Tim shrugged, "You know me, anti-social."

She moved closer, "Timothy..."

"Yeeees?"

"Were you jealous?"

Tim, caught off guard, coughed, thumping his chest to rid himself of the smokers' cough he spluttered, "No, why? Why would I be jealous? It's not my business who you bring home. You're free to bring home whoever you want." he felt his cheeks flush a deep red, "Why would it bother me?"

Sasha cocked an eyebrow and rubbed his back, "Mate, calm down," she giggled, "I was just kidding."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Feeling his coughing subside, Tim noted the hotness in his face had not, and was about to protest when Sasha spoke again.

"I'm hungry, let's get hot dogs."


	12. Chapter 12

_Wanted to take a break from writing so much seriousness. The next few chapters may be lighthearted silliness. Sorry._

"Ok." Tim was clearly getting agitated, "Ok, mom. Right. Send my congratulations. Right, mom. Ok. Ok. Alright. I'll let you know. Bye."

Sasha glanced over, "Everything ok?"

Tim put the phone down, "That was my mom."

Sasha feigned surprise, "No, really?"

He gave her a look, "Yeah, really."

"And what a touching mother-son interaction it sounded, too."

Tim shrugged uncomfortably, "You've probably guessed I'm not that close to my family, judging how little I speak to them. Try to avoid it when I can."

Sasha put down her magazine, "Why?" She couldn't imagine NOT talking to her family at least weekly via webcam or facebook. You can't go from living with someone for about two decades and then move to another continent and NOT stay in touch. But maybe it was an American thing. "I always thought you lot were morre sentimental than us Britons."

Tim sat down heavily next to her, "Well, when I was little my mom and dad got divorced. They both remarried, had replacement kids. I got a bunch of step-siblings and half-siblings I never see and when I do they're always smart-ass little pricks. Some are in college, some high school. One of them is getting married and has a great job." He rubbed his eyes with both hands, "Growing up, I was just like the problem child. The reminder of my parents' failed marriage. The one who was always troubling both families with medical bills. I didn't fit in either family." Tim looked at Sasha, who had placed her hand on his shoulder comfortingly, "And now...now if I see either of my parents my step-parent is there with all the kids like 'look how amazing and successful MY kids are.' Always asking pointed questions about my health, my smoking, 'Oh, you got fired AGAIN? Too bad.' or 'oh, you're in between jobs? Little Hank just got accepted into Harvard', 'So Tim, when are YOU gonna bring home a girlfriend?' Stupid tight motherfuckers judging me!" Tim's knuckles had turned white from clenching them out of frustration. He noticed and relaxed his hands, "I should just be grateful they don't call often. If they do it's only for some 'family' reunion. Seems stupid really, seeing as I'm not really in either family anymore. Just sitting there, drinking, listening to each new achievement by each little star."

Sasha eyed her roomate with concern, no wonder he's as bad as he is, she thought. No one has ever been there. What kind of selfish parents would just lose touch with their kid?

"But you're just as good as they are," Sasha chided, "Even better."

Tim let out a breath of laughter, "Thanks," he snorted, "But I'm a pill-dependant mental patient with severe epilepsy, one real friend in my life who can't hold down work because he's such a psycho." He flinched at his own use of the word 'psycho', remembering how harshly it had been said in the past.

"You're not a psychopath." Sasha urged him with quiet firmness, "And you're doing well now. You're a good person, you work hard, give everything your all and you've always been a good friend to me."

Tim smiled a ghost of a smile, "Unfortunately, they don't stop them looking down their noses at me."

"Why do they want you to go meet up with them anyway? What's the occasion?"

"My eldest step brother is getting married." Tim said flatly, "Snobby ass, he is. Never seen him look at me without a smarmy little smirk on his face."

Sasha sat and thought for a while, "You said they wonder when you're going to bring a girl home to them."

"Yeah," Tim fumbled around, "Where did I put my cigarettes? I had them just then..."

"What if you brought a girl to the wedding?"

Locating the cigarette carton, Tim let out a bark of laughter, "What? Just find a random girl, 'hey, you wanna come six hours upstate with me so I can call you my girlfriend and show you off for my familys' approval?'"

Sasha snatched the carton from him, "I mean, what if you happened to get yourself a girlfriend? Wouldn't you love to see the smug smiles wiped off their faces when they saw your sexy, hot, charming, educated, BRITISH new girlfriend, who was absolutely crazy for you and would do anything for you?"

He slowly turned his gaze upon her, "You're suggesting..."

She winked, "What if I was your hot fake girlfriend this weekend, baby?"

Tim's face cracked into a grin, "I like the way you think, Miss England."

Sasha giggled and she danced into the kitchen, singing, "You'll be my American Boy...American Boy..."

Tim and Sasha piled in the car, packed and mapped out, "So," Tim asked her, "what are we gonna tell them?"

Sasha cocked her head, "Tell them what about what?"

"How did a sad-sack like me meet a drop-dead gorgeous beauty queen from the United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Northern Ireland?"

"Nice use of our full state title," Sasha smiled, "I don't know. I became your roomate and we fell in love?"

Tim nodded, that had been how it happened for him anyway.

"Yeah, mom. Almost there now." Tim yelled down the phone, "I'm bringing a surprise along too." he winked at Sasha, who was walking back from the motoway service station with more mounds of junk food, "I think everyone will be really surprised at this. Flabbergastered, even." He sighed, "Flabbergastered, it's a British expression that means...never mind, I'll see you soon!"

Sasha grinned, shoving fries in her mouth, "Think they'll catch on?"

"No." Tim smiled back, taking his order and adopting a more serious tone, "You're still ok with this, right?"

"It was my idea." She laughed, "We should get going, I want to make my entrance grand!"

"Well then!" Tim hopped back into the driver's seat, "We shall get going, for her royal highness to make her grand entrance!"


	13. Chapter 13

Junk food finished, with the wrappers hastily stuffed into a bin bag, Tim and Sasha pulled up outside what Sasha thought looked like the most stereotypical American middle-class suburban house she had ever seen. She turned her head and looked round the street, seeing a few neatly-strung American flags, completely stationary in the lack of a breeze.

Tim pushed the car door shut and caught a glimpse of himself in the car window. Haggard-looking, tired and in need of meds, and/or a cigarette.

As if she could tell what he was thinking, Sasha patted his shoulder, "You look fine." she told him, "You needn't be nervous."

Tim 'hmph'-ed and crammed a pill into his mouth. She didn't have to worry, she looked perfect all the time. Plus she had fixed herself up at the last service station they stopped at.

"Do you have a key?" she inquired, "Or do I ring the doorbell? What's the custom?"

Tim turned the door handle and held it open for her, "Mom told me she'd leave the door open for me." And stepped in after her.

"Tim, honey, is that you?" A woman's voice sounded over other buzz along the carpeted corridor.

He sighed, "Yeah, yeah, it's me."

Sasha heard it go quiet in the room and someone mutter something, only to be hushed with a "Ssshh, be pleasant."

Tim popped his face in through the door, "Hey."

A lot of over-enthusiastic "Hey, Tim! It's so good to see you again!"'s were heard from the other side of the door, "Come in, how have you been? Have you heard the..."

Tim halted them, "Before we all start talking about ourselves, there's someone I'd like you to meet."

Silence fell, and Tim's mother started up again, "Oh yeah, what's the surprise? We've all been dying to know what it is?"

A man laughed, "Yeah, we were wondering if maybe you'd been fired from another job, cos we were gonna say 'Well, that's no surprise at all!', huh?"

Sasha noticed Tim's knuckles clenched as he gave his best fake smile, "Nope, no, Harrison, I'm holding steady work."

"That'll be a first!" someone else exclaimed and they all laughed,

"Now, now, come on," Tim's mother settled them down, "Let Timmy give us his news."

"Well, ok..." Tim's expression became shy and he motioned for Sasha to come into the room, "Um, this is my...girlfriend. Her name's Sasha, she's from the United Kingdom."

Sasha extended her hand with almost a hundred times the charm she did with Jay, "Hi, it's really nice to meet you all finally!"

The silent expressions on the faces of the people in front of her were that of people who had seen Jesus himself ride through the streets on a flamingo singing 'Shawty's like a melody'.

"Tim has a girlfriend?" One girl piped up,

The middle-aged man, who Tim had previously addressed as Harrison cracked up again, "Good one, Timothy," he wheezed, "how much did you pay for her, eh?" The rest of them laughed and it really hit Sasha why Tim disliked these people, "More importantly, was she worth it?"

Tim opened his mouth to retort, but Sasha cut in front of him, "Oh, he didn't pay for me. But if he did, his money..." she focused her jewel-like eyes on Harrison and spoke slowly, formulating each word perfectly with her lips and tongue "...would be VERY. Well. Spent. Trust me, right darling?"

Tim's stomach did a backflip as she placed her arms around his neck and leaned in close to his face. His eyes flicked back to his stepfather, who wore a look of a deer in headlight. Turning to Sasha he smiled, "You bet your ass."

"Oh absolutely," Sasha continued, smile plasticked on her face, "We're like rabbits in heat, Tim and I. Except a little more..." she trailed off and winked, "You know."

The whole room wore an expression of shock, with a trace of mild disgust as Sasha's provocativity. Tim put his arm around her shoulders, "But we're totally crazy about eachother. I'm head over heels in love with her, and she feels the same way."

"You hope." a snicker came from a tall, skinny young man with a long nose and face.

Sasha beamed, "Oh I'm mad for him!" she giggled, "I just fell for him so easily."

Tim sipped at his beer, smiling back at the glares and smirks thrown his way, hand clasped with Sasha's. He wasn't just smiling because he has successfully shown his family he wasn't just their punching bag, but because, just for a little while, he could really show how he felt about Sasha. And no one had to know the difference.

Serving out the dishes, Tim's mother, a middle-aged woman, with very dyed blond hair, concrete sprayed and frozen solid, asked her very pointedly how she and Tim met. Again, the table went quiet and all eyes went to her, listening for flaws, testing.

"Well," Sasha resumed her thousand-kilowatt smile, "When I first came to the U.S. to study I needed a place to live and I saw Tim's ad for a roomate and moved in. Well, we just fell in love with eachother and..." she made a flicking gesture, "That was all she wrote. And here we are."

"Well, isn't that sweet." A preppy girl, who Sasha had learned was the bride of this wedding (who she thought looked suspiciously like a younger version of Tim's mother, combined with the long nose of her fiance),

Harrison, set down his drink, "So what are you doing in America, anyway? Not reaping the benefits of our hard-earned economy and having off, huh?" he laughed, something Sasha noticed he did far too much of.

Tim interjected, "Sasha was placed here by an international company on a course that will qualify her to teach English as a foreign language."

Harrison guffawed at this, "Gonna be teaching all the chicos to speak English like they should then, huh?" his voice making a joke, but his eyes giving away his bigotry, "No, I'm kidding, I am. But in all seriousness, we've got enough foreigners as it is, bringing their culture over and trying to destroy the American way of life!"

"Oh really?" Sasha fixed her gaze on him, and Tim knew the glint she had in her eye. She was about to say something controversial and bring him down, he'd seen it done time and again. How his stepfather would react to it, he didn't know. "You should take your complaints to the local Native American reserve." She stated, "I'm sure they'll be more than sympathetic."

Tim was shaking with the effort of trying to contain his laughter. God, he loved it when she did this. Especially to the man who had pushed him away from the family all these years. Finally he was getting his comeuppance, and from a Brit, no less.

Tim saw Harrison's eyes flash and his face turn red, maybe from anger or embarrassment. Either way, he kept control as he cracked another joke, "Don't get cocky, little miss royalist, don't forget who kicked your asses in the War Of Independence." This was met with smiles, laughs and nods of agreement,

Sasha smiled back and she replied in a sing-song tone, "Only with the help of Fraaaance!"

Tim snorted, oh he was glad he came now.

"Tim, honey, are you alright?" his mother asked him, directing the attention on him while he had his nose and mouth covered by his fist in attempt to stifle the laughing that would sooner or later burst out.

"Yeah," he mumbled, mouth contorting to conceal his grinning, "Just sneezed."

"So grab a tissue and wash up." Harrison snapped irritably. Tim left the table and walked to the bathroom. Locking the door behind him, he sank to the floor, helpless with silent laughter. This was undoubtedly the best family event ever.


	14. Chapter 14

"So, you know where your room is, Timmy." Tim mother said to him, "I'm sure there'll be enough room for Sasha too."

"I'm sure I'll fit, I don't require much room." Sasha beamed,

"Yeah," Tim agreed, picking up some bags, "that's one of the best things about living with her." It was true. Sasha didn't take up much space.

"Well, goodnight then." his mother bade them, "I'll see you both in the morning."

"Goodnight!" Sasha called, while Tim mumbled a 'night'.

They dumped their bags in what was apparently one of Tim's childhood rooms. It was tiny, and mainly taken up by other people's things.

"They used it for storage after I left home." Tim explained, rubbing his nose, "They could have at least given the place a dusting."

"Never mind." Sasha plonked herself down on the bed, patting the space by her, "Come here." And Tim obeyed.

"Um, Sash?"

"Hm?"

"What are we..." he glanced at the door and lowered his voice, "What are we gonna do about the sleeping arrangements?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, if you're not comfortable sharing a bed, I'll take the floor, that's not a problem..."

"What floor?" Sasha cocked an eyebrow, gesturing to the floor stacked with boxes and books. "We'll just share the bed. It's no big deal."

Tim's heart thudded. It certainly WAS a big deal to him. Ok, a few nights ago she had slept in his bed after he passed out on top of it but that was different. He dreaded the idea of waking up to her with morning wood...

"Anyway, why don't we have a little fun now?" Sasha winked at him. Tim was pretty sure he felt his heart stop. A little fun, she said?

"Why don't we..." her eyes looked darker than usual, "...have some fake sex and let you're family know we're serious?"

That would have been the perfect sentence for Tim, had it not contained the word 'fake' and he was a little dissappointed.

Oh well, he thought, would be fun to see the looks on everyone's faces tomorrow morning.

Sasha and Tim moved rhythmically up and down on the bed, occasionally emitting moans of pleasure. The floorboards were creaky, as was the bedframe, so noise was definately apparent.

"Oohh! I just remembered!" Sasha whispered, jumping up suddenly and rummaging through her bag.

"What? What? I'm on the edge of a fake orgasm here!" Tim hissed,

Sasha held up a pair of handcuffs with a cheeky smile on her face, "I got them just in case they needed to see how 'wild' we really were. Kinda like your badge of honor as it were."

Tim was baffled as she clinked the chain of the handcuffs, "'Badge of honor'?" he repeated, "You gonna handcuff me as swallow the key?"

"Better." she grinned, "You don't have a key for these, you just push a button and they release. But let's just say one wrist got 'stuck', eh?"

Tim grinned broadly, "You're really getting into this, aren't you?"

"What, and you aren't?" she shot back, giggling. Tim felt his chest lurch a little. He was, yes. Too much.

He let Sasha clamp one ring of the handcuffs round his wrist, finished up having fake sex and settled down for the night.

"Night, Sash." he murmered,

"Night. Tim?"

"Mmm?"

She turned over, "That was the best fake sex I ever had." she mumbled.

He smiled wryly, "Same here."

The next morning, Tim opened his eyes sluggishly and went to rub his face, promptly hitting himself with the other half of the handcuffs that were dangling down.

"Shit." he muttered, noticing the morning wood and hurried out of bed so he didn't disturb Sasha, who was still sleeping peacefully.

When he decided it was safe, he crept out of his room and made his way to the bathroom. He yawned loudly, rubbing his nose and hiting himself in the face again.

"Good morning, Timothy."

Tim stopped abruptly in his tracks, seeing his eldest stepbrother stood in front of him, wearing an expression of disgust. As he usually did when he had to directly communicate with Tim.

"Morning, Harrison Junior." Tim replied,

"I heard you had a late night last night."

"Did you now?" Tim kept his tone even, despite his heart threatening to thud out through his chest,

"In the future, I'd appreciate it if you kept your depraved late-night adventures a little more private in future. My fiancee and I didn't appreciate it keeping us up and some of us would prefer to keep our ears clean."

"Then maybe keep your fucking ears out of earshot." Tim snarled, taking out a cigarette and fumbling for a lighter,

"Mom would prefer it if you didn't use that language," Harrison Jr. wrinkled his long nose, "Nor that you smoke in the house."

"She's not your fucking mom." Tim leaned in close, threateningly, dropping all pretense of civilities, "I'm not a kid, and I'm going outside to smoke."

Harrison Jr. took a step back, "You might wanna watch your tongue, Timothy." he smirked, "Wouldn't want border control to come and take your girlfriend back to her pathetic little island, would we?"

"What's wrong, junior?" Tim cocked a sarcastic smile, "Are you jealous?"

"Jealous?" Harrison Junior repeated incredulously, "Why on Earth would I be jealous of YOU?"

Tim lit his cigarette and began to walk over to the bathroom, "Oh, I don't know," he sighed, "How about the fact that your fiancee looks more like your sister?" He turned, taking another drag, "And actually, Sash is here legally, and there ain't shit you can do about it."


	15. Chapter 15

"Morning, all!" Tim had adopted the same fake smile that everyone else in the house wore so well. He was skidding in behind Sasha, who was giggling.

"Morning, Timothy. Sasha." Tim's mother regarded Sasha with a slight look of distaste and Harrison simply ignored their arrival.

"How did we all sleep?" Tim focused his gaze on his stepbrother, who scowled in return, "Where's your fiancee this morning? Didn't sleep so well?"

As if on cue, she walked in, "Good morning, darling." she said to Harrison Jr., who promptly pulled her into a sickening, tongue-action kiss.

"Well, if that isn't a kiss of true, CLEAN, love..." Harrison announced, glaring at Tim and Sasha, "...I don't know what is."

Tim glanced at Sasha who pretended to gag before giggling.

"Timothy." Harrison's attention turned to his stepson, "You and Sasha are meant to be so in love, aren't you?"

"Yes, sir." Tim grinned at her,

"So why haven't we seen a kiss from you two?"

Tim was stumped, how would they explain that? But thankfully, before he could wait too long to give a suitable explaination, Sasha answered.

"In Britain we prefer to keep that sort of thing private," she explained smoothly, "we're very 'two-feet-away'. When we kiss and more, we prefer to confine it to our bedrooms..." she smirked, "...and living rooms, and bathrooms, and kitchens..."

"But this is AMERICA." Harrison interjected, "Why not abide by American ways?"

Sasha snorted and raised an eyebrow, and Tim wondered what would happen next. He turned to look at Sasha and she placed her hands behind his head, pull him in and presses her lips to his.

Tim's eyes grew wide for a second in shock.

Why was she doing this?

His whole family was watching.

Why? Why? Why?

Who cares?

He kissed her back. Her lips being everything he imagined and more. Soft, luscious, warm. The cherry taste tantilising his tongue and her flowery, sugary, fruity scent filling his nose. Tim guided his hands to brush over her soft, talcum-powder cheeks and weaved through her thick red hair. It was like sticking his hand in a freshly-washed duvet, soft and comforting. His fingers tracing her curls, a fountain of liquid fire.

Sasha broke away, and Tim felt a moan escape his lips, hurt that she let go. He opened his eyes to see hers staring back at him, sparkling like stars on the ocean.

And reality crashed down on his head. That wasn't a real kiss. It was just them pretending to his family.

Just for the weekend.

"You ok?" Sasha asked him quietly, lying back on his bed playing a game of Animal Crossing. "Did I go too far?"

"Hm?" Tim looked up, "No, no. Just...just lost in thought."

She sat up, putting her Nintendo down and put her arms around him, "I'm sorry anyway." she said, resting her head on his shoulder, "I shouldn't have done that with no warning.

Tim closed his eyes in pain at her kind words. Please, he thought inside, please don't be sorry.

"It's ok." he said, not daring to face her, "Really. It just surprised me. I guess we should have prepared for that."

"Mmkay." she replied, "Am gonna go to the bathroom, back in a sec."

Sasha locked the door behind her and slid down the wall to the ground, burying her head in her hands. Why had she done that? He was clearly uncomfortable and awkward. What if she made everything weird and messed up their friendship?

And why did she want to do it again?


	16. Chapter 16

He was there. Him. She could feel it.

Oh God, what was he doing here? They were miles away, surely he hadn't followed them here? Why was he in the house? Bloody hell, he was so creepy. Just standing there. Staring. Her heart pounded, wanting to run. Where could she run to? She was indoors? And outside certainly didn't feel too safe, either. Oh God, oh God...

"Tim!" she gasped, gripping onto his wrist next to her as she woke up, panting.

"Hm?" Tim woke up from his light sleep, coughing chestily, he turned to face her, "What's up?" Tim blincked a couple of times and coughed again, "Sash?" he grew worried, "What's wrong?"

Sasha was regaining her breath, "Nothing," she sighed, "Nothing, just a nightmare."

Tim sat up, now awake, "What was it?" he touched her shoulder gently, "You can tell me, it was just a dream."

Sasha looked up at him, and Tim saw that her eyes were shimmering, "He was there again. The tall man, the creepy guy I saw when I was out looking for you."

Tim froze, that thing...

Sasha continued, "I dreamt he was in here. Outside the door, at the end of the corridor," she pointed, "just standing. I think he was gonna start moving towards us but I woke up."

Tim coughed again and put his arms round her, "Just a dream." he whispered, "Forget about it. Just forget about it. Go back to sleep."

"You said that last time," Sasha's voice was muffled in his chest, "you won't talk about him, or the other guy. Who are they, Tim?" she broke away and Tim saw the devastating confusion on her face, "You seem...afraid of them. I'm afraid too, but I wanna know who I'm afraid of and why."

Tim wanted to tell her. His soul, ready to spill over, just wanted to tell her everything. Why he was really the way he was.

"Forget them," he whisepered, hoping she wouldn't see the tears threatening behind his eyes, "Please, just go back to sleep. They can't hurt us. Not here, not anywhere."

He hoped.

Tim lay awake next to Sasha, having stroked her hair until she fell back asleep. He let his hand rest on her kitten-soft hair, watching her slender body move up and down with steady breathing. He twirled her hair round his fingers, how could something so fragile have stayed with him all this time intact? Someone who could be dangerous?

But she wasn't as fragile as he kept thinking, was she? She was strong. Always strong for him. If anything, as much as he (and his other self, apparently) tried to protect her, it always ended up the other way round, didn't it?

Something bothered him, why was she dreaming about...it? Dreaming that it was in the house? Outside the room? Tim wanted to check, but a cold fear told him that...maybe just this once...ignorance was bliss. And Alex, too...Alex Kralie...Tim almost felt his other self cry out in rage. The sort of murderous anger that he felt when he thought of Alex. Was it his own? Or did it belong to the other side?

It doesn't matter right now...Tim thought, the need for sleep tapping him on the shoulder to remind him it was there. He closed his eyes, and soon he was...

Tim was woken lightly by the winter sunlight falling in on his eyes and Sasha shifting in bed.

"Morning." he said, voice dry from just waking up.

"Mmm..." Sasha sounded back in, discomfort?

"Are you ok?" Tim struggled up and looked over at the sheety lump that apparently was Sasha,

"Is it time to get up?" she mumbled,

Tim glanced at his watch, six o'clock. "Still a little early, why?"

"I don't feel well."

He attempted to roll her over to face him but she stiffened,

"Come on, let me see you."

"No." she told him, stubbornly, "If I've got something, I could pass it on to you."

Tim raised an eyebrow, and flipped her over easily, earning a whiny-sounding "Nooo...!" from his roomate as she buried her face in the duvet.

He peeled back the blanket, "What's up?"

"'m kinda shivery, headachey, very tired..." she certainly looked it. Her normally white skin looked a little off-white, with dark circles under her eyes. Her cheeks flushed and eyes rather glazed. Tim touched her forehead,

"Yeah, you got a bit of a temperature..." Tim's mind played back to last night and a panic set in.

He rummaged in his bag, "Here," he held out a couple of pills to her, "Ibuprofen."

Sasha swallowed them, "I'll go down when everyone's up, tell them you're sick. Probably bring up some breakfast for you."

"No..." Sasha struggled up, "I'll be ok once the ibuprofen has kicked in, really."

Tim sighed, and gently shoved her down, "No, you're staying in bed today."

"I refuse to do so."

"Sash, I want you to stay here."

Sasha sat back up, "And I am adamantly refusing to comply. I am an independant British woman, who doesn't need a man telling her what to do!"

Tim stopped and raised an eyebrow in amusement, oh he loved it when she was like this.

"I could just chain you here." he wiggled the handcuffs suggestively.

"You do so, and I will drag you through every court on the United Kingdom, right up to the European Courts." she responded, curtly.

Tim laughed, and knew she'd be fine.


	17. Chapter 17

"Well, all the girls will be going wedding-shopping aaaand the boys are off fishing for the day!" Tim's mother smiled that overly-excited smile, clapping her hands together.

Sasha was beginning to find that smile somewhat creepy and realised her facial muscles would be ripped by the time she went back with the amount of fake smiles she had to do.

The girls around the table looked a strange mixture of excited and irritated, possibly as the knew the day entailed traipsing around after the bride-to-be, having the fact that she was the centre of attention shoved down their throats all the time. On the other hand, they got to spend the money of the men to distract themselves.

Oh, how delightfully quaint and sexist it all was.

Tim, in contrast to the happy faces, looked positively surly. He would be put with men he didn't like, nor liked him. And he would be separated from Sasha for the whole time, just to make it that much more unbearable.

At first, he had tried to protest that it would be better if Sasha were to come along fishing, as she didn't really know anyone other than Tim.

"Nonsense!" his half-sister, Nettie, had exclaimed, hooking her arm through Sasha's, "We're gonna BOND! We'll have great fun, getting to know my big brother's girlfriend!"

Tim was pretty sure he saw fear in Sasha's eyes before she was dragged away by the females of his fake family.

"Wait!" he yelled, running after them. Heart pounding, he planted his lips on hers and kissed her for a few seconds, before running off to catch up with the men, face steaming red.

Nettie kept her arm firmly linked with Sasha's throughout the car journey to the shopping mall. Sasha's inner Brit was positively screaming 'TWO FEET AWAY! TWO FEET AWAY!' but somehow (thankfully) managed to keep her composure, politely answering any questions directed her way.

"You and Tim are SO CUTE." Nettie gushed, squeezing Sasha's arm tighter, "I still can't believe Tim even HAS a girlfriend!"

Sasha's smile froze, "Oh? Why's that?"

Nettie shrugged and looked over to other members of her family,

"Well..." one girl started, "...he's...not exactly the most attractive of guys..."

"Or the most dependable."

"Or ok to be around. I mean...the guy's a bit of a psycho. I'm often scared to be around him."

Sasha twitched, little bitches...

"He can't hold down a job."

"He's permanently grumpy. This is the first time I've seen him smile."

"He's kinda weirdly jealous of all of us."

"So..." Nettie turned back to her, grinning (don't you smile at me, you little cow, Sasha thought) "Why are you with him? Not to be rude or anything."

Sasha dropped her smile and glared, "I LOVE him because he is gorgeous. Physically just my type. I love him because, no matter what, I can depend on him to be there for me. I can feel safe around him, regardless of what his condition does to him, he's never been a threat to me. I love him because he tries his hardest at everything, even when it's all going to shit. I love him because he smiles for me, even when he doesn't feel like it. I show him more love than any of you ever did when he was growing up, and that's why he's happy now. At least, happier than he was."

It was times like these that Tim remembered how much he hated people.

His male relatives were all laughing heartily and swapping inside jokes he had never heard of or understood. Hooking up their rods, or whatever it was they did...he didn't know. Fishing had never been a pleasant experience and he preferred to forget it.

"Catching dinner tonight, then!" Harrison boomed, "If we're lucky, maybe Timothy might even catch something without having a seizure!"

Tim clenched his fists round his rod and hoped that, should his masked side surface, he might do something useful and tackle Harrison into the water and drown him.

"I'm joking, I'm joking, Timothy!" his stepfather guffawed, as his offspring around him collapsed laughing, he winked at them, "But can we say it's not true?"

"So, Tim..." one of his half-brothers, Brent, approached him, "It'll be nice for Sasha to get some time to bond with the girls, won't it? Take a break from you and relax and be a normal girl for a bit."

Tim's eye twitched, what part of Sasha wasn't usually normal? "Oh, I don't know about that. Sasha isn't the shopping-materialistic sort. She's an educated young lady."

"Oh really?" Brent raised an eyebrow and turned to Harrison Jr, smirking.

"Must feel really awkward..." Harrison Jr. started, "... when your partner is more of an intellectual than you. Can't imagine there'd be much for you to talk about."

Tim returned the look of fakeness, "No, we have very detailed conversations. She's never made me feel stupid or condescended me in any way."

"Still," Brent chimed in, "must suck when she's out being educated and having all sort of crackpot ideas being filled into her head and you're stuck in your job and then coming home to console gaming and smoking. I couldn't put up with that."

"Actually," Tim snapped, "Sasha also loves gaming. We sit there for hours on end surrounded by junk food on our console. When we have time together, we get up to all sorts. Things we have in common, things we BOTH enjoy. We have meaningful conversations about life and what happens in it. We have awesome sex. Sasha is intelligent, but her life doesn't revolve around acedemics. She's adventurous, she's funny, hilarious in fact. She's cute, she's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life. And most importantly, she's the girl I love. And she loves me for me. The whole package."

"Tim..." Sasha began, lying back on the bed, "Can I make a teeny confession?"

Tim was stood at the window, smoking, "Sure."

"I really bloody hate your family."

The corners of Tim's mouth twitched as he blew out smoke, "Me too."

"By the way," she struggled up, "the bride's wedding dress? It looks exactly the same as her wedding cake."

"Let's hope they stick the knife in the right place."


	18. Chapter 18

The day of the wedding rose with a kind of grim happiness. The bride had fled to her mother's house with her cronies to get ready away from the prying eyes of her groom and his men.

Tim and Sasha, involved with neither parties, simply lay back on the bed. Tim inhaling lazily on a cigarette, still clad in pyjama shorts and Sasha nintendo-ing away, wrapped in a short, thin dressing-gown. Tim wasn't planning on making a massive effort for this thing, just throwing on a suit and combing his hair. That would be all.  
Sasha, however, being a woman, could take a great deal longer. As women did, and as special as Sasha was, Tim knew she was no exception to that rule when it came to getting dressed up.  
But Sasha seemed relaxed enough, tap-tap-tapping away.  
"Sash?"  
"Hm?"  
"Today's the day..."  
Sasha didn't look up from her game and simply nodded.  
"Ready to take on more of my detestable not-family?" he questioned, worried it might be too much for her,  
Sasha raised her fist in repsonse and Tim knew she was ready for battle.  
Tim paused, hesitating on whether or not to say what he wanted to next, "Sash?"  
"Mm?"  
He pondered a second longer, "It's been nice...this long weekend..."  
She looked at him and smiled, "Mm-hm. It has. It's been enjoyable, despite...you know."  
He smiled back and resisted the temptation to give her hand a squeeze. Finishing his cigarette, he reached outside the window and stubbed it out on the brickwork.  
"What time does this thing start anyway?" Sasha asked, putting her nintendo away,  
"About ten-ish." Tim guessed, he hadn't really been paying attention when his mother had made a show of explaining the routine for the day.  
Sasha checked her phone for the time and shifted closer to Tim, clinging on to him, "Got time for fake sex and a nap, right?"  
Tim grinned, "There's always time for that."

Tim relaxed back in the armchair, a shot of whiskey in his hand, lipstick strategically smeared on his neck and the corner of his mouth, grinning sleepily.  
"Aren't you getting ready?" Harrison Jr. snapped,  
"I am ready." Tim smiled back,  
His stepbrother eyed the lipstick, "And your girlfriend?"  
"Will take as long as she likes to get ready. Not that she needs it." Tim took a sip of his whiskey, "You seem tense, junior."  
"I'm getting married today."  
"I can see why, given your choice of wife." Tim snorted, "Having doubts about her parentage? Only just now?"  
Harrison Jr. balled his fist and Tim nearly laughed out loud as he shoved his face into his, in what Tim assumed was meant to be a threatening manner, "You just keep your mouth shut, alright? Just because you've got a girlfriend now doesn't make you any less of a failiure and embarrassment to this family. If anything, it makes you even more so."  
"And what? Because I got with someone OUTSIDE of the family tree?" Tim snapped, he didn't like where this conversation was going,  
"Your girlfriend, for your information," Harrison Jr. snipped, "not only acts like a skank, but also is under the delusion that she is superior, when in reality, she's nothing but a nasty little foreign leech, ready to make a fool of anyone. We're all just counting down the days until she leaves you in the dirt."  
Tim jumped up and Harrison Jr. jumped back, knowing he'd gone too far. He was taller than Tim, but they both knew who was stronger.  
"Don't poke the bear, son." Harrison emerged at the door, "You don't know what it'll do to you."  
Tim scowled and downed his glass, ready to storm out when a sight stopped him in his tracks.

Sasha had emerged from their room and was traipsing down the stairs. Her warm red curled teased into an updo with occasional ringlets hanging down, spilling over. A sharp contrast to her skin. Flawless. Whiter than the untreaded snow that so rarely came to Alabama. Her eyes, sparkling like water in moonlight and lined with every silver cloud lining Tim had seen since the day he met her. Her dress wrapped around her streamlined body with all the colours of the ocean. Her feet elevated by silver heels adorned with tiny stars.  
Tim couldn't breathe.  
My God...  
She was beautiful.  
He wanted to kiss her.  
God, he really, really wanted to kiss her.  
She was looking at him, could she see it? Were his eyes betraying him?  
Sasha looked away to Harrison, "We're going now, yes?"


	19. Chapter 19

Tim stifled a yawn and shook himself to stay awake. In the process jolting Sasha, who had begun to nod off on his shoulder.

"How much longer?" she whispered sleepily, "We must have been here about three hours!"

Tim glanced at his watch and saw that she was right, "It can't be that much longer now." he mumbled back.

"Good, I'm bloody starving."

He suppressed a chuckle and allowed her to rest her head on his shoulder again, making a mental note that, on the subject of food, he should avoid the cake. His mother had announced his Aunt Nancy was making it and if his Aunt's previous cakes were anything to go by, it would taste like cardboard and plastic foam.

"...kiss the bride!"

As the music played and people rose the clap and cheer, Tim opened his eyes and Sasha raised her head,

"Is it over?" she asked,

"Looks like it."  
"Finally!" she jumped up, "I must have dropped a stone since I came out, where's the reception? I could eat everyone here!"

Tim laughed and allowed her to take his hand and yank him off through the crowds of people.

He stood outside the marquee, inhaling on a cigarette,

"You still smokin' on 'em cancer sticks, son?"

Tim glanced up and his face cracked into a smile, "Granpa Joe!"

The old man reached out for a hug and Tim squeezed him with glee. Grandpa Joe, along with Grandma Betsy were Tim's favourite relatives. They'd never treated him like a burden and been the ones to visit him most in hospital. As far as they were concerned, Tim was an ordinary young man who had a problem during his childhood that, in their opinion, was badly dealt with by medical staff and Tim's family.

"I thought you weren't coming!" Tim grinned, "You never said!"

"And miss out on seeing our boy? Never! Your grandmother's in there getting food. Lord..." Grandpa Joe threw his arms in the air, "...we thought that service would never end! Jesus himself would have run outta patience. I been to Catholic weddings that took less time. But never mind that..." he put his arm around Tim and pulled him close, "...I hear rumours of an even better couple on the block." he winked, "So how long you been seeing that mighty purty girl on your arm and what did she do to make your stepfamily hate her so much?"

Tim extinguished his cigarette under his shoe and his eyes glittered with mischief, "She's British, for one. Nice and educated."

"Oooohh, Big Harrison can't have liked that!"

"There's more," Tim looked over his shoulder, "she flawed Harrison when he was making digs at immigration and plays up to her being crazy about me more in front of them all."

"Ouch, that's gotta smart!" Joe chuckled, "'specially since that bride of Harrison Junior's looks more like his sister..."

"That's what I told him!"

"What are you boys whisper-whisperin' about?"

"Grandma Betsy!" Tim hugged the old woman,

"Hey, I just got a close-up look at your girlfriend!" she beamed, squeezing his cheeks, "Our Timmy really has grown up, hasn't he? When can we expect a wedding?"

Tim blushed, "Oh, Grandma..." he shifted, "I don't know, I'm still half-waiting for her to realise I'm no good for her..."

SLAP!

"I don't wanna hear that kinda talk from you!" she wagged her finger at him, as if he were still a little boy, "You a kind, generous boy and from what I heard you head-over-heels for her. And I can see it!" she gestured to his eyes, "I known you since you came outta your mama, and I was young once too. I know that look in your eye, and I ain't never seen it in your's before. If that ain't the looka someone in love, well Lord strike me dead!"

Tim knew she was right, and he didn't want to tell her the truth but...

"And I saw her." Betsy continued, "I saw the way she looks. Gramma knows a young girl's heart and she got the same look as you. You're young! You're in love! I tell you now," she went back to wagging her finger, "you two make a fine couple and you gon' be happy. No questions asked. And Lord knows, you deserve it, Timothy, you deserve it more than others."

Tim was in shock. He knew the look of adoration was plain on his face, but his grandmother saw it on Sasha's too?

And did he deserve it though?

Tim had never thought he deserved anything. He wasn't a demanding child in that sense, the only thing he ever asked for, and wished for, was to come home and be like all the other kids.

Did he deserve this?

If he made it out of all the Marble Hornets crap alive, what would happen?

He'd never even considered it.

He'd never even considered letting on how he felt.


	20. Chapter 20

_Sorry I 've been away, guys, school has kept me so busy lately. But here's a new part - keep the reviews coming! They motivate me!_

"Sasha, these are my grandparents. Grandpa Joe and Grandma Betsy."

Sasha shook hands with them both, "It's really nice to meet you both. It's nice to finally meet some of Tim's relatives that don't wish I would bugger off back to the U.K."

Joe shrugged his shoulderd and smiled, "We all immigrants here, my own great-grandfather were a..."

"Oh, Joe, Sasha don't wanna hear about all that!" Betsy placed her arm around Sasha, "I wanna know allllll about our Timmy's girl."

"Oh, I don't know, there's not much to tell..." Sasha started,

"Now, come on, tell us everything!"

The four of them sat at a table inside the marquee, focused on Sasha,

"Well," Sasha began, "I was born and raised in a very insignificant part of northern Britain. After completing my A-Levels, I chose not to go to university, much to the disgust of the snobby staff at my school and chose to take a T.E.F.L. course with an American company who placed me here in Alabama to complete my training."

"And that's where you met Timothy, correct?" Betsy nodded at her grandson,

"Yep." She smiled and squeezed Tim's hand, "I was looking for a place to live, saw his advert for a roomate and it just...happened."

Tim felt his stomach jolt, seeing her eyes look into his,

"Awww, ya see?" Joe folded his arms and regarded the two with fondness, "If that ain't love...that's the stuff romance movies are made of."

Maybe romance/horror, Tim thought darkly, even so, it would be a better love story than Twilight. At least my dark side seems to have a soft spot for her.

Slow-dancing in the now-dark marquee, Tim gazed at his fake lover forlornly,

"It's a shame this has to end so soon." He murmered, so he wouldn't be heard by his glowering step-family and doting grandparents.

Sasha met his eyes and Tim felt as if she looked straight into his soul, "Does it have to?"

Tim tore away from her gaze and squeezed her, he didn't want it to. He truly didn't. He'd give anything to just leave all this Marble Hornets crap behind and just stay here forever with her. He'd even put up with his family if it meant being with her in peace.

But he knew it was impossible. They'd find him, whoever they were. He'd be dragged back into it, kicking and screaming. It was possible that THING knew where they were already.

He had already put her at risk.

He couldn't do it again.

Sasha took his silence to mean, yes, it did have to end. They had to go back to how it was. Just friends. Friends who were honest with themselves, each other and those around them. And she knew that she couldn't ask why.

As she and Tim pressed their foreheads together, looking at the ground. To outsiders, it looked like intimacy between a couple, but they knew it was intimacy that they could only show to outsiders. Sasha could have sworn she heard Tim whisper, "One day..."

The next morning was bleak and cold, unusual for Alabama, even in wintertime.

"You got all your stuff together?" Tim asked Sasha,

Sasha was laid back on the bed and gazed at him lazily, like a sleepy cat looks at someone with that look that clearly says it has no intention of moving.

"Yes." she replied, coolly.

"Want me to take it to the car?"

Sasha fiddled with her nintendo, flipping the lid open and closed again, "It's ok."

"If you're sure." Tim hitched his rucksack over his shoulder, "We should get going then."

She nodded in response and got up slowly and carried her luggage to Tim's car.

The drive was silent, Tim glanced nervously at Sasha who didn't seem to look at him at all.

"You seem quiet," he broke the silence, "what's up?"

"Nothing." Sasha responded, without the usual reassuring tone she would normally have used. "I have a headache. Didn't sleep well."

Tim looked at her and she continued to stare straight ahead. "We have asprin..."

"I'm fine."

Silence fell over them again and Tim, unable to stand it, tried to break it again.

"You wanna stop for some shitty junk food?"

"I suppose." she sighed, "No point in watching my figure now anyway. I may as well blend in and adhere to the proper Americaan way and become a total lard-arse."

"What is with you?" Tim questioned, bewildered,

"Nothing!" she snapped as they pulled into the service station and stalked into the fast food restaurant.

Tim knew she was lying. First of all, her attitude totally betrayed it and second, she ordered three burgers, chicken nuggets, large fries, large coke and a six-pack of doughnuts. He had seen this before around exam time. She was stress-eating. She would go for days not touching food, then bingeing excessively on junk. Then eating nothing again.

"Sasha..."

"What?" she asked, shovelling a ketchup-smothered burger into her mouth,

"Something's up." he told her,

"You're wrong," she told her, wiping ketchup from the corners of her mouth, "Nothing is up."

"You're stress-eating."

"I'm hungry."

"Sasha..."

"I'm fucking starving, ok? You never seen a British girl eat? You think we can't eat like you? Because we can! We just tend to choose not to because we don't wanna end up bed-ridden by our own fat!"

"Ok, even when you're stressed, you're never like this with me." Tim snapped, "Clearly, I've done something wrong, and it's unfair to keep me in the dark like this so you may as well tell what I've done."

"You seem to be under the impression that I'm a fucking angel. That I'm perfect." Sasha swallowed her burger and began smearing brown sauce on the second, "Well I'm not. I'm a bitch, alright? The American sterotype that Brits are the bad guys applies when it comes to me. I'm nasty, jealous, catty and stupid. There you go." She sat back and took a sip of cola.

"Let me know when you're gonna tell me the truth, ok?" he said softly, "I don't want to watch you sit there and feed me a load of crap like that."

"Kay." she replied, sulkily, avoid his gaze.

They drove some more in silence until Tim noticed the sound of sniffling and looked at Sasha, who had tears pouring down her cheeks.

Pulling over, he touched her shoulder gently,

"I'm sorry," she sobbed, "I'm sorry."

"Sssshhhh..." he hugged her, "It's ok."


	21. Chapter 21

When they opened their front door, Sasha collapsed on the sofa and fell asleep almost immediately.

Tim smiled, she was like a child, she fell asleep so easily and he envied that. He sank into the seat, adjusting Sasha so her head rested in his lap.

He was missing the weekend already.

The next day, Tim awoke early. It was his day off.

But he's made a decision and took overtime. He was gonna need the cash. Making himself a breakfast roll, he quickly nommed it with a mug of tea and a cigarette. Tim peeked into Sasha's room. Her duvet covered her completely save for her locks, still so vivid in the dim light poking out. Tim chuckled to himself, scribbled a note and went out the front door.

On his break, Tim felt a vibrating in his pocket and opened a message form Sasha. It read:

'Why are you working overtime? I am lonely, come and recover from our arduous journey here with me on the sofa xx'

He felt a smirk curling his lips as he typed back 'Would love to do any number of things with you on the sofa but need extra cash. Will be doing moar overtime, sorry :-( how are you today xx'

The reply came but a minute later 'Fuck your face, you aren't leaving me on my own all the time. I think I am sick, blinding headache, coughing, feverish :'-( come home n take care, having tim withdrawl symptoms xx'

Tim froze. He knew that feeling.

Hopefully, HOPEFULLY, it was actually just a bug she had caught.

It probably was.

Wasn't it?

Couldn't be the same thing.

He texted her back 'No probably you picked up step-cooties from my family. Will be home later and take care of you all you want. Need anything xx'

She replied, 'Some lovin. But will settle for moar fast fuds. lol obesity howyadoin xx'

Tim laughed at her last text 'There's no way you could ever be fat in a million years. g2g back to work nao :-( see you tonight xxx'

Throughout the rest of the day, Tim couldn't concentrate. What if IT was there? Watching her? What if she was found by Alex? Tim's insides curled into knots that made him feel sick thinking about it's tall, suited figure at the window, facelessly staring at her while she slept and Alex's cold, murderous eyes on her, maybe growing lustful...what man wouldn't, seeing her? He pictured...

"Wiley?"

"Sir?"

"You alright, man?" his boss peered at him, "You look deep in thought. Everything ok?"

Tim forced a nod, "Yes, sir."

His boss patted him on the shoulder and Tim checked the time.

It would be five hours until he got home.

There was a knock at the door and Sasha, still clad in a spaghetti-strap top and boy shorts, answered it.

There stood a tall, bespectacled young man.

"Hey," she said, with familiarity, "I remember you, now where did we meet? Near here, right? I think we..."

He produced a pocket knife and flicked it open, holding it out towards her. "Say nothing." he instructed her, stonily and Sasha's horrified eyes met his, "You do this my way, our no way at all, meaning death. Clear?"

She wanted to say no, but her head nodded yes.

"Good." he stepped into the house and closed the door behind him, locking it from the inside.

"Now, we're gonna talk Sasha. We're gonna talk about your roomate, Timmy Wiley."


	22. Chapter 22

Sasha edged back from Alex, shaking, until she bumped into the table. Her hands gripped around it, frightened she would fall.

Her chest felt tight, her body was cold and shivering with fright. Or fever. Or both. Who was this guy? What does he know about Tim?

This...

This was the guy she met that night...that night she was looking for Tim...he seemed to know who Tim was. Tim's reaction when she told him was off, definately. He knew...he told her to forget. But why? Who was he?

Sasha's eyes welled up, why was this happening?

"Who are you?" she meant for her voice to sound strong, but it came out as a shaky, high-pitched whisper.

Alex smiled, "Who am I? What? Didn't Tim tell you?"

Sasha shook her head and he laughed, "Well, Tim and I go waaay back. Did he ever mention 'Marble Hornets' to you?''

She shook her head again, and he raised an eyebrow, "It's taken up so much of his life for these past few years, I'm surprised. Did he never tell you what he gets up to when he's running round like a masked freak? Do you know what he's done in the past? Do you know what I've done?" Alex let the tip of the blade gently poke Sasha's stomach and leaned in, "Do you know who busted his leg?"

Her eyes widened a little, "That was you?" Tim's leg had been badly damaged, almost completely smashed. Why? How?

A sadistic smile spread across Alex's face, "What's the cause of his seizures, his paranoia, his hallucinations?" he asked mockingly, "I know. He knows. Seems like the only one who doesn't know, is you. The one he trusts most. Ironic, huh?"

Sasha was sure her heart skipped a beat, "You know what causes his condition?"

Alex smiled, "I know a lot of things about Timothy. Things your pretty little head couldn't think of. He's not the poor little victim of a nasty mental illness, no. He's a bad man."

"He's not bad." Sasha's voice took on a firmer tone, "Whatever you say, he's not a bad person."

"He and I both know, given any opportunity he would love to murder me, in the coldest, most brutal way possible." Alex told her, coldly.

"Judging from the fact that you have a knife pressed against my belly, I'd say that was justified." Sasha smarmed, and immediately regretted her sass-mouthing. What would he do if she pissed him off?

Luckily for her, Alex just laughed and turned away. "You really don't know him at all, do you?" he said, "But he knows you, doesn't he? Tell me, Sasha, did you never find it creepy? That mask? The way he stares at you? He watches you, doesn't he?"

"How do you know that?" Sasha began to edge to the kitchen,

"I know a lot of things." He whipped round and yanked her into the living room, pointing the knofe at her again, "Nooo, darling, we can't have you in there, that's where the knives are."

Sasha fell against the sofa, "First time a man has told me to get out of the kitchen."

Alex knealt down and leant over her, letting the knife slowly trace round her face, "Do you know why I'm here, Sasha?"

Sasha shook her head, wondering what this guy knew about Tim, and what was true and what wasn't, and how much she really knew about Tim...

"I'm here because I need Tim for something aaaand, seeing as he's unlikely to co-operate I figured he'd be persuaded by someone he really really likes. You."

Sasha glared defiantly, "I'm not persuading Timothy to do jack shit! You can eat my pussy for lunch, little man, cos I'll show you how we do things across the pond!"

She lunged at him and felt a blinding pain.

Alex turned to the tall figure next to him, eyelessly staring, "Shame. He really loved her too."

Tim swung the door open and stumbled in, "Hey, Sash, you left your keys in the door!" he called, "I got burgers - how are you feeling? Sasha?" he walked into the living room, "Sash, are slee - "

Tim saw her.

He saw her lying on the floor. Blood pooled around her and sank into the carpet. Her skin whiter than it usually was and Tim could tell she had lost a lot of blood.

He rushed over and sank to his knees. His heart dropping a million miles into the dark depths of his insides.

"Sasha..."

She was breathing, but shallowly, as if her breath might slip away at any second and he felt a mixture of rage and regret licking up at his chest from his sick stomach.

They arrived, all flashing lights and sirens blaring. The ambulance. The police. Tim heard them speaking but his brain was so addled he could barely work out what they were saying.

'Stabbed' he heard someone say. 'Victim.'

'Roomate.' 'Work'. All these words meant something to Tim but the only thing his mind could focus on was one word.

'Alex'.


	23. Chapter 23

Tim ignored the vibrations of his phone from Jay, who has undoubtedly heard the news and sat in the hospital, numb.

She was getting paler by the second. The paler she got, the stonier Tim's heart became. The flames of empty desire for revenge burning his soul.

He got up, left his phone on the table and walked out. Something had to be done.

Jay was speeding along to the hospital. Someone had yelled there had been a stabbing on Tim's road. Some girl, they said, had been attacked in her home while her roomate was at work. Girl...roomate...it couldn't be. He had to make sure.

Tim traipsed along, pulling out his pills as he went and unscrewing the lid. Each step, he flicked one pill away into the distance. This was it. He had to become the animal now, unleash that side of him. If Jay knew what he was doing, Jay would probably force the pills on him, or someone would. But if they couldn't find the pills...

He arrived at a back entrance, the doorway littered with cigarette ends and he lit his own cigarette to add to the pile.

Come on then, he thought, inhaling. I'm giving you permission to come out.

Smoke curled into the air and rose along with the rage bubbling, seething, rising within him.

"COME OUT!" he yelled, punching the doorframe, ignoring the tiny red beads of blood growing from his knuckles, "I don't CARE..." he shouted, kicking a trash can over with a clash and clatter, "If we both DIE!"

And the blackness overcame him, with the pain that he had been so willing to embrace over these past few hours.

Jay rolled up to the hospital, slamming the car door and sprinting in.

"Excuse me..." he panted at the receptionist, "A girl...today...brought in...stabbed...can...you..."

"Help you?" the receptionist raised her eyebrow, "We can't accept visitors right now."

"But the girl..." Jay gasped, "Her name was Sasha, right? She's British? Her roomate is Timothy Wiley?"

"Do you know her?"

"I'm a friend. Acquaitance. I need to know if it's her so I can...help her roomate. He'll be seriously cut up, I don't want him doing anything stupid...please..."

Hopping over the fence, a masked man made his way into the distance.


End file.
